Skin
by UnderElectricCandlelight
Summary: It took a long time to admit it, even longer to find peace with it.


**I've never written anything so quickly before! My attempt at a short story inspired by the song _Skin_ by Rag'n'Bone Man. And my first attempt at something darker and maybe a little sad.**

 **I don't own any rights to The Walking Dead world, or the song (though I wish I did).**

* * *

He never said it to anyone, never said it out loud. It took a long time for him to even admit it to himself.

He'd been having dreams for a while before his feelings for her made any sense, when he realised the true extent of what he had lost.

 _It was almost love_

 _It was almost_

He would always see her running, jagged pink scars and a penny-sized wound - the one he always tried so hard not to think about. The blood smothered across her frayed clothes was dark, congealed from the hoard of walkers he could always hear but never see. He was running after her, feeling his head pounding, never really quite certain if it was from the effort to reach her or trying to escape the invisible threat. Eventually he would catch up and reach out, but without fail his head would always snap round to see no walkers anywhere. When he looked back he was grasping at thin air, his target nowhere in sight.

 _Turn around_

 _I'm holding on to someone_

 _But the love is gone_

Until eventually the dream changed. The scars had healed leaving silver-white reminders that she never failed to put up a fight, long blonde hair framing her face in soft curls. They were walking along a trail - sometimes surrounded by wildflowers, others sunflowers - but she would never fail to skim her hand along them with a peaceful smile. There were no feelings of dread or sorrow, just sunshine and calm. Neither feeling a need to fill the comfortable silence.

He would wake up crying for a different reason after these dreams.

 _When I run out of air to breathe_

 _It's your ghost I see_

 _I'll be thinking about you_

 _About you_

The group had grown over the years, along with partnerships and friendships with other communities. Life carried on while always reminded that no-one was ever truly safe. The baby they had all risked their lives for at one point or another was a little girl now, flourishing in the community with houses and a school, no boarded up windows or having a guard on the house porch at night. Families expanded, the addition of a little boy who never knew his father - or aunt - those who made the rules, responsible for the safety of their people, and those who tended to the land to provide an equally important role.

He had a job to do, a job that he was good at, a job that protected those who had become his family so long ago. But in the confines of the dark room at night, he'd be hit by those he couldn't help, couldn't save.

 _Carrying the load_

 _With wings that feel like stone_

 _Knowing that we nearly fell so far_

 _Now it's hard to tell_

When the day came he was there on the front lines, fighting side by side with his people, next to his brother. Since it all began they'd battled countless enemies, but they knew this one was different. This was bigger than anything faced before.

They had the children and vulnerable elsewhere, but he felt it, that those left here were in more danger than they were willing to talk about.

 _When I heard that sound_

 _When the walls came down_

 _I was thinking about you_

 _About you_

He knew it from the moment it started, that today was the part helped save his family, and that made it easier. But that wasn't the only thing that helped him.

 _I reached out for your hand_

 _When the walls were caving in_

 _But I see you on the other side_

 _We can try_

 _All over again_

When his family looked back at that day they had a feeling why.

He never said it to anyone, never said it out loud. It took a long time for him to even admit it to himself.

But their family knew why Daryl Dixon passed with a peaceful look, amongst all the chaos, and that helped them.

* * *

 **I couldn't help but think of Daryl and Beth when I've listened to this song, and just felt inspired to try writing it. Plus I had to throw in that slight mention of Glenn, purely because I miss him - I'm still not over the death of Hershel yet so I don't think I'll be getting over the loss of Glenn any time soon!**

 **I am completely obsessed with this song at the moment, and the rest of the album to be honest. If you listen to it please also try the song _As You Are_ \- I think it's one of the most beautiful songs on the album, and they're all brilliant.**


End file.
